You Are My Sunshine
by Earendilion
Summary: Songfic. Oneshot. Elrond thinks about Celebrian.


_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…_

Elrond watched Celebrían as she held the long scroll of parchment up to the light, determined to unravel its devious meaning. It was part of an ancient document dictating certain laws and regulations of military procedures that he himself had been forced to peruse many a time, and though this particular search had proved fruitless, Celebrían had been resolute in her desire to help.

"I do not know," she said agitatedly, squinting at the parchment and wrinkling her nose in disgust. "It says one thing here, and then _completely _contradicts itself here, and… Eru!" She snarled the last bit in exasperated frustration and flattened the parchment roughly onto his desk, running one graceful hand through shining, silver hair.

Elrond smiled as he watched her work, she completely oblivious to his gaze. It was at moments like these that she unwittingly stole his heart once more, that he fell in love with her all over again. Well, as long as her temper was taken out on this document instead of on him, he would be alright.

"What?" she asked snappishly, catching him watching her.

"Oh, nothing," he said, startled out of his reverie. She returned, muttering, to her work.

_You make me happy when skies are gray…_

Elrond nearly snapped his quill in frustration. The sun was setting, dinner was in a matter of minutes, and _still_ he had piles of work to do. The stacks of parchment before him reminded him repeatedly of this every time he chanced to look up from the return letter he was attempting, and failing, to write.

He had been working all this week, almost non stop. He had to keep reminding himself that it was simply one of those peaks in everyone's business that would keep him particularly busy for one and half, maybe two weeks, but no more. It frustrated him to no end, in any case. He went to bed late and got up early. He had snapped repeatedly at Erestor and Glorfindel. Sometimes he went days without seeing Elladan and Elrohir.

As all these emotions surfaced, he allowed himself a bitter snarl, thinking himself alone, but at that moment, the door opened.

Celebrían stepped in, bearing a tray of food, shutting the door behind her with a foot.

"That was certainly a ferocious growl," she said teasingly, setting the tray down on the small table before the fire.

Elrond didn't reply, he didn't even look up, but continued to glare fiercely at his work, his quill scratching with unnecessary violence.

Celebrían sighed and rolled her eyes, moving behind his chair and rubbing his shoulders, bending over him to glance at what he was working on.

Despite his determination to remain focused, but angrily so, Elrond's stomach jumped. Knowing he had to say something, he forced out gruffly, "How are the boys?"

"They miss you," she said softly, leaning her chin on his head.

His stomach squirmed again, though this time with guilt. He didn't reply.

She continued to massage his shoulders, but he ignored it persistently, trying to drown out her gentle humming with his quill, but succeeding in only punching holes through the parchment. On the third hole, he drew a deep breath, letting it out in a menacing hiss.

"This bothers you too much," Celebrían said soothingly, bending close to his ear. "You know it is only a momentary peak and it will pass. _Relax_. Erestor and Glorfindel are beginning to fear bringing the daily report, and the whole House avoids your study for fear of being slighted through the doors."

Elrond snorted, his wounded pride flaming indignantly. He was wounded not only by these words, but also by the fact that she was… she was… dare he say it?... she was… right. As much as he loathed admitting it.

He sighed heavily, and his shoulders sagged slightly. Celebrían laughed softly and put her arms around his neck. "I am always right," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "I just know you-" she gave a mocking sigh of distressed regret, "too well."

Elrond muttered incoherently, but she laughed again, and his spirits lightened and lifted against his will. He never could stay angry or frustrated around her. He turned his head to look at her. She was smiling broadly, blue eyes glittering mischievously and silver hair falling in ripples over her shoulder.

She laughed again as she saw the defeat in his eyes and kissed him briefly on the mouth.

"Come," she said briskly, urging him out of his chair. "You might as well eat now, while it is warm. You look ready to faint."

_You'll never know, dear, how much I love you…_

Elrond shifted restlessly. He couldn't sleep. He hated nights like this, nights when he was almost too tired to sleep. He turned over for the hundredth time, the blankets rustling agitatedly. Celebrían didn't move. His tossings and turnings never seemed to disturb her.

This wasn't the first time Elrond had wondered how she managed to sleep so well, night after night, even when he couldn't. He had a theory that she could sleep through a troop of stampeding mumakil, though that theory had yet to be tested. She could, however, sleep through Elladan and Elrohir's raucous morning greetings that came _every morning_ without fail. This usually left him to get up with the twins.

He sat up with a heavy sigh, leaning against the headboard and giving up on imminent sleep. He looked around the room lazily, noting familiar details and objects, the view comforting and calming him. His eyes seemed to be drawn every time, however, to the figure next to him in the bed.

Celebrían's hair sprayed like moonlight-made-solid across her pillow, her pale face peaceful and perfect and innocent in the bliss of sleep. Her shoulders rose and fell slowly and rhythmically, constant and unfailing. Like her presence. Like her.

Elrond's heart seemed to melt within him as he watched her. He would never know what grace had befallen him to attain her love, what he had done to deserve her. No, he didn't deserve her. But she had taken him anyway.

With another sigh – one that was finally peaceful and contented – and a smile, he wriggled back under the covers and put one arm around her. Celebrían smiled without opening her eyes.

"Go to sleep," she whispered into the silence.

He already was.

_Please don't take my sunshine away…_

Elrond stood on the dock, his mind unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Up to this point, it was as though everything was surreal. He had been under the blind, but utterly convincing illusion that they would find a way through this, that they would be able to overcome this.

But here he was, watching the white ship sail into the sunset. Taking her with it.

Arwen stood beside him, her dark hair rippling out to the side in the sea breeze, her face a mask of inexpressible and inescapable pain. Elladan and Elrohir were on his other side, tears they had failed to suppress streaking their faces. He could feel Erestor and Glorfindel's presence behind him, though they said nothing. They could offer no comfort save their company.

Arwen suddenly took a deep, shuddering breath, like a drowning person desperate for air. She turned to him and smiled, and it broke his heart to see her rising above the pain that was so thoroughly defeating him, and then pushing herself even further so as to try and spread that hopeful perseverance to him.

He smiled back, though it was a lifeless and cold gesture. Arwen seemed to know that the effects of his sorrow were not directed at her, however, and she smiled again, turning to walk back to the settlement. The twins followed soon after.

It took all of Elrond's will to tear his eyes away from the place where the ship had vanished.

_You will see her again_, he thought firmly as he turned to follow his children. _Do not lose hope._

_I already have._

_You will find it again. You must find it again. You will see her again. You will._


End file.
